190, l. 12, reads, "in open audience of his flock, he may
preach and deliver his knowledge in the Articles," &c.
192, l. 4 to 6, "and so ... of the Kirk," omitted.
193, l. 4 to 19, varied and abridged; and lines 25, 26,
read, "The Ministers were publicly admitted."
195, l. 14, altered; and lines 21 to 27, "And gif," &c.,
omitted. The next head, "For Readeris," is partially
abridged.
198, l. 1, the words, "at the discretion of the
congregation," omitted.
199, l. 3, the words, "in Goddis presence we witness,"
omitted; and lines 7 to 15 amended.
200, l. 12 to 14, part of the sentence omitted; and the
paragraph that follows, "Restis yit," &c. concerning
provision for the poor, and the teachers of youth,
contracted to about one-third.
201 to 203, Under the head, "Off the Superintendents," the
original which here consists of 38 lines, is contracted by
Spottiswood to 6 lines.
204, l. 11, "to leave as your idill Bischopis," changed to
"to live idle as the Bishops."
205, The third head, "Of the Election of Superintendentis,"
appears as if re-written and abridged; l. 18, reads, "we
think it sufficient that the Council nominate;" and lines 22
to 25 omitted.
207, l. 6 to 12, "Yff the Ministeris," &c., omitted.
208, l. 16 to 26, "Of one thing, in the end," &c., omitted.
208, 209, "For the Schollis;" the introductory paragraph
omitted, and the next 14 lines contracted to 5 lines.
214, l. 24, reads, "New Testament, and shall finish his
course the same year. And in," &c.
221, l. 2 to 12, "not doubting," &c., omitted. Under the
"Sext Heid," except the first sentence, the whole of the
first paragraph, "But befoir we enter," &c., is omitted.
222, l. 4 to 9, "We dar not flatter," &c., omitted.
223, l. 27, &c. "Your Honouris," &c.; the whole of this
paragraph omitted.
225, l. 13, The "Additio" is not found in Spottiswood.
226, l. 23, "Yf this Ordour," &c., to the end of the
paragraph, omitted.
227, The second paragraph, "But becaus this accursit
Papistrie," &c., omitted.
230, l. 21 to 23, Spottiswood reads, "This sentence, as
being the most heavy censure which can be inflicted by the
Church, ought not to be rashly used but for grave causes,
and due process of time kept, but being pronounced, ought
with all severity to be maintained, and intimation thereof
made through the whole realm, lest any should pretend
ignorance of the same."
235, l. 3 to 18, "Yea, the Seniouris," &c. This paragraph is
thus altered: "If a Minister be of a loose conversation,
negligent in his study, and one that was little bent upon
his charge or flock, or one that proponeth not fruitful
doctrine to his people, he ought to be admonished by the
elders; and if he amend not, the elders may complain to the
ministry [of the two next adjacent churches, to whose
admonition, if he shall be disobedient, he ought to be
discharged of his ministry] till his repentance appear."
The words enclosed within brackets are omitted in the old
printed editions of Spottiswood's History, we may suppose by
accident, as this appears to be the only variation which
Bishop Russell has discovered upon collation with the MSS.
253, A great part of this page is omitted.
255, The last paragraph is somewhat altered, or at least
transposed.
255-8, "The Conclusioun" addressed to the Lords, with the
"Act of Secret Counsall," and the signatures, are wholly
omitted.
* * * * *
A great many lesser variations, consisting of words omitted, sentences
abridged, &c., might have been specified, if such an enumeration would
have served any useful purpose. The above may suffice to satisfy any
impartial reader, who desires in this FORM OF POLICY "to see what were
the grounds laid down at first for the government of the Church," that
implicit reliance should not be placed upon the Archbishop's fidelity,
although he does affirm, "I HAVE THOUGHT MEET, WORD BY WORD, HERE TO
INSERT THE SAME." (History, vol. i. p. 331.)
No. III.